Quake-damaged Washington Monument may remain closed into 2014

By the CNN Wire Staff

Updated 8:00 AM ET, Tue July 10, 2012

Photos: Repairing the Washington Monument16 photos

Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument is reopening after a 2011 earthquake caused $15 million in damage. Cutting the ribbon Monday, May 12, were, from left, National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Robert Vogel; Caroline Cunningham, president of the Trust for the National Mall; David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of the Carlyle Group; National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis; U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell; counselor to President Obama John Podesta; Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.; and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (with unidentified man).

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Photos: Repairing the Washington Monument16 photos

Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument is seen in April through cherry blossoms on the edge of the Tidal Basin.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Geese fly in front of the Washington Monument during a winter storm in February.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument is framed by fall foliage in November.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument stands covered in scaffolding as people visit the Lincoln Memorial in October.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The monument is illuminated during a lighting ceremony in July.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Workers finish installing the last pieces of scaffolding in May 2013.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Workers walk on scaffolding around the monument as repairs continue in April 2013.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – A tourist takes a photo of the Washington Monument -- half-covered in scaffolding -- in March 2013.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Barricades are in place to keep people a safe distance from the damaged structure in August 2012.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – No major injuries were reported after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which struck on August 23, 2011, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Contractors began conducting a block-by-block inspection of the monument in September 2011.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Gordy Kito, left, and Erik Sohn pull in rope for people working on the damaged landmark.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – David Megerie traverses the exterior of the Washington Monument. Megerie is a contractor with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, the engineering firm leading the inspection.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – A worker descends the length of the monument after the earthquake. Officials said the heaviest damage seemed to be near the top of the structure.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Dan Lemieux of the WJE engineering firm holds one of the larger pieces that fell from the monument during the earthquake.

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Story highlights

Top official says repair work complicated because damage is so high

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake damaged the 555-foot-tall structure in August

National Park Service confirms repairs will take 12 to 18 months

Crews will begin work this fall

The Washington Monument will remain closed for repairs for at least another year and possibly into 2014, National Park Service officials said Monday.

The 555-foot-tall monument has been closed since an earthquake struck the mid-Atlantic region near Richmond, Virginia, in August 2011. Repairs are expected to begin this fall.

The service said that huge scaffolding will be needed for the outsiderepair work, which will take 12 to 18 months to complete. Some of the repair work will include sealing cracks, removing loose pieces of stone and repairing joints.

"The challenge is most of those cracks are at the very top portion of the monument and the ability to get workers up there to successfully repair it requires a major scaffolding effort," said Bob Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. "The monument is in good shape. It's going to be here for years to come, but in order to safely allow visitors to get up to the top, we need to make those repairs."